As a desert - denizen , I ’ll try on anything to keep my AC costs down — and this did the antic .

Julie Soefer

Living in the desert has its advantages for much of the year . Beautiful sunny day when most of the country is cold and wet give those of us who populate amongst the cacti and palm Tree a little turn of an attitude . “ Are n’t we favorable ? ” we think as we devolve on our golf game carts around in the middle of February . And while we rarely have toturn on our ACduring the cool months , once May rolls around , the audio of whizz compressor replete the air , along with detritus storms and , later on , the episodic monsoon .

a bedroom with an angled wood ceiling

Credit:Julie Soefer

As much as I love my melodic phrase - conditioned indoors , the up - to-115 arcdegree ( and hotter ! ) summer weather comes with the reality that the power may go out at any clock time . These occurrences are roll in the hay as rolled blackout or brownout ( technically , arotating outage ) when power consumption is so high that customers are force to shut down their electrical big businessman .

So while we ’re in the thick of the sweltry time of year , I decided to essay out a TikTok trick that looked too good to be true . Creator @mekslife deal that she lines herunairconditioned home’swindows with bivalent - reflective insulant to keep out the harsh sunshine and heat of summertime .

“ It ’s amazing , " she says in her TV . " Not only does it save money , but it keeps your mansion really cool . ”

Sinceelectric billscan amount to 10 times high-pitched ( sometimes more ) in the desert than usual during the scorching months , it was worth a try .

I lined the largesliding deoxyephedrine doorof my bedroom with the insulation she recommends since it does n’t face any public areas ( andour HOAmight frown upon something so makeshift in our window ) . Also , this windowpane face west — so at the hot point of the afternoon , you’re able to feel the 100 degree - plus heat radiating onto your cutis just stand next to it .

To my pleasant surprisal , the insularism was quite effective . Though it does n’t reckon the most smart , it keep the room cool compared to what it feel like with the aviation off when it can get up to as eminent as 90 degrees indoors .

Viewers of @mekslife ’s video agreed this is a great trick .

“ I did this when I live in the Mojave Desert . It really does piece of work , ” one substance abuser comment . Someone else wondered , “ Is no one get going to acknowledge we ’ve been doing this in the South forever ? ” Others were more hardheaded , mentioning that a windscreen shadowiness would do the same matter .   So , whether you pick up supplies at a rest home supply store or auto parts shop class , this is a helpful tip to remember if yourAC is on the fritz .